In patient care scenarios it is sometimes necessary to insert an endo-tracheal tube through a patient's nose or mouth, into the wind pipe, and then into the patient's lungs in order to administer air/oxygen from a T-tube, bag-mask device, or a continuous respiratory ventilation device. In many instances, the tube is kept from moving by placing tape around the endo-tracheal tube and onto the skin of the patient's face and head. Such a practice has several disadvantages such as causing blistering and eroding of the patient's skin, as well as causing rips an tears in the gloves of the medical personnel treating the patient.
Several attempts have been made to provide an improved endo-tracheal tube support device. Several of these prior approaches include the use of a length of rubber having fabric ties at each end, which is used by wrapping the length of rubber around the tube and using the fabric ties to secure the device around the head of the patient; a length of fabric having a portion wrapped with a cellophane type plastic and including a length of wire of shaping the curvature of the cellophane section.
Another approach involves the use of a length of foam stretch rubber having ties at the ends with sticky surfaces. The stretch rubber passes around the back of the head and the ties are secured around the endo-tracheal tube. Still another approach uses a circular structure for capturing the endo-tracheal tube, connected by plastic tubes to a length of broad cloth. The broad cloth is the placed around the patient's head and tied-off.
A previous approach used by the inventor in the subject application involved a length of plastic tubing having a circular cross section and a square aperture positioned at some point along the plastic tubing. A length of broad cloth was threaded through the plastic tubing, and a portion of the broad cloth was pulled through the square aperture to form a loop for capturing the endo-tracheal tube. The ends of the broad cloth were tied off at the back of the patient's head.
All of the above approaches have several disadvantages such as slippage; difficulty of adequately tying off the ends; and difficulty in adjustment.